Notice of Temporary Administrative Order
OAR 165-010-0005
Updates Filing Deadlines, Implements Legislative Changes in Candidates and Political Party Manuals
The Elections Division hereby provides notice of rulemaking activity for OAR 165-010-0005. More information may be found below and on our website. This temporary rule went into effect on August 13, 2025.
RULE TEXT: The rule text may be found at this link.
RULE SUMMARY: The changes to this rule and the associated manuals and forms implement House Bill 4024 (2024), Senate Bill 166 (2025) and House Bill 3908 (2025).
House Bill 4024 (2024) Section 17b changed the candidate filing deadline for incumbent public office holders. An incumbent seeking re-election for the same office must file their declaration of candidacy or nominating petition at least seven days before the applicable filing deadline for other candidates.
Senate Bill 166 (2025) clarified language regarding legal professionals regulated by the Oregon State Bar, it replaced the term “member” of the Oregon State Bar with “licensee” for certain judicial positions.
House Bill 3908 (2025) increases the party registration requirement to be a major political party from five percent to 10 percent of registered voters.
Additional changes were made throughout the manuals and filing forms to update filing deadlines and provide clarity for the various processes related to candidacy and political party filings.
NEED FOR TEMPORARY RULE: This rule implements legislative mandates found in House Bill 4024 (2024), Senate Bill 166 (2025) and House Bill 3908 (2025). The change in filing deadline for incumbent candidates seeking re-election for the same office pursuant to Section 17b of HB 4024 (2024) goes into effect on January 1, 2026. As such, this legislative change will be in effect for the 2026 election cycle and thereafter. In addition, candidates running for certain judicial positions need to be aware of clarified language that replaced the term “member” of the Oregon State Bar with “licensee”. The filing period for the 2026 primary begins on September 11, 2025. The rule needs to be in effect prior to the first day to file to ensure interested parties have all relevant information in the manual by the first day to file. Further, the updates to the manuals and associated forms set forth updated statutory deadlines and clarify processes with which candidates are required to comply. Finally, voter registration threshold changes for major political parties must be updated to reflect changes made by the legislature.
JUSTIFICATION FOR TEMPORARY RULE: The Secretary of State, Elections Division (Agency), finds that the failure to act promptly will result in serious prejudice to the public interest. If the changes aren’t in place before candidate filing begins, candidates and the public might not know about the updated deadlines and requirements. Making the changes effective immediately will help ensure a smooth and transparent filing process. In addition, the Elections Division must determine whether Oregon’s major political parties meet the registration requirement to nominate candidates in the primary election under ORS 248.006. The changes to this requirement were made by HB 3908 which contained an emergency clause and went into effect on July 1, 2025. If changes to the manual aren't reflected to match the law as soon as possible, parties and the public might not be aware of the new, higher threshold which could lead to significant confusion. A permanent rulemaking process will follow to accept public input on these changes.
DOCUMENTS RELIED UPON & WHERE THEY ARE AVAILABLE: House Bill 4024 (2024), Senate Bill 166 (2025) and House Bill 3908 (2025) available online from the Oregon legislature at oregonlegislature.gov or from the Elections Division.
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